THESE private council emails written yesterday and leaked to the Coventry Observer reveal leading councillors’ private concerns about Coventry City’s owners Sisu’s latest disclosures and claims.
In the two emails, leading Labour councillor Kevin Maton expresses his concerns about the impact on May’s local council elections, rather than the 136-year football club’s future. The club faces eviction within weeks in the increasingly bitter Ricoh Arena dispute, and being forced to groundshare outside the city.
Coventry City Council leader George Duggins emailed response shows he considered a quick response was necessary to rebut Sisu’s claims that the council was holding up new stadium discussions, which we first revealed yesterday. There has still been no council response.
The leaks seem to show leading councillors being more concerned about a quick rebuttal and re-iterating their intransigent position of insisting on pre-conditions that Sisu’s legal action is dropped before all party talks, rather than making enquires of officers and a measured response to ALL points raised by the latest disclosures.
Sisu claimed the council has been dragging its feet for a year on advancing a new stadium site for the football club.
It came in yesterday’s detailed Sisu statement which also provided evidence from private council and Arena Coventry Limited (ACL) emails and documents (see link above) of various attempts to block Sisu’s attempt to acquire stadium revenues and ownership to support the team – at the Ricoh and elsewhere.
Another email Sisu disclosed yesterday – also published by us – provided evidence of attempts as early as March 2012 by ACL – then part owned by the council – to bring London Wasps to the Ricoh Arena by BUYING Wasps, behind Coventry City’s backs. This was before Sisu’s withdrawal of any rent while failed talks took place in 2012 over stadium rent, revenues and ownership.
Coventry Observer editor Les Reid, who revealed the emails today on Twitter, also tweeted: “These leaked emails also suggest @coventrycc councillors’ 1st thoughts are DENY AT ALL COSTS (with elections ahead) rather than enquiring with officers to see if there’s any TRUTH in ‘council hold-ups to @Coventry_City new stadium plan’ AND all the other serious Sisu disclosures.”
Some fans took to Twitter to express their fury at the two councillors’ position.
The private emails were sent to others at the council including chief executive Martin Reeves. He is also a former ACL director who had been instrumental throughout the seven-year Ricoh Arena dispute, and in bringing in Wasps.
Councillors agreed the 250-year stadiim company sale to London Wasps Holdings Limited in October 2014 which is still subject to Sisu legal action. The council still holds the Ricoh freehold.
Wasps, £55 million in debt and backed by the council in its stance, insist Sisu must drop its legal action for Coventry City to continue as tenants after current arrangements expire at the end of this season.
Conservative opposition leader Gary Ridley is supporting the Labour council leader’s stance – that Sisu should drop the litigation or sell the club.
Sisu said in an open letter two weeks ago it would talk over dropping the litigation in return for council help to find a stadium site and a “commercially acceptable” Ricoh Arena interim arrangement.
Coun Duggins failed to show up for crucial Westminster talks earlier this month attended by leading figures of all other parties, the football and rugby authorities and West Midlands mayor Andy Street, held by culture and sport Secretary Jeremy Wright MP this month.
Coventry City face potential expulsion from the English Football League in four weeks on April 25 if they cannot state where they will play home games next season. It is reported several clubs are prepared to offer a groundshare outside the city.
The Sisu and club companies are calling on Wasps to repay £28milliom to the council if their so far failed legal action is finally successful at a Supreme Court appeal.
Wasps also courted controversy yesterday by claiming under questioning by us that football fans understood their pre-condition to talks that the other side must permanently drop its litigation – to the annoyance of some Coventry City fans commenting on social media and forums.
The Coventry Observer invites responses from councillors Duggins, Maton and the council.
